Electric program-clock.



' G. P. MILDB.

ELECTRIC PROGRAM CLOCK.

APPL'IGATION FILED IBB.16, 1911.

7 1 00 4 Patented'N0m14, I911.

BY E W I ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co, WASHINGTON, n. C,

EQE.

GOTTLIEB PAUL MILDE, OF SELBY, SOUTH DAKOTA.

ELECTRIC PROGRAM-CLOCK.

nooasas.

Application filed February 16, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GOTTLIEB P. MILDE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Selby, in the county of VValworth and State of South Dakota, have invented a new and Improved Electric Program-Clock, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to time-controlled electric alarms for periodically sounding alarms, and its object is to provide a new and improved electric program clock for use in schools, railroad stations, hotels and other places, and arranged to periodically sound alarms, to economize in battery power, and to provide a mechanism of comparatively few parts not liable easily to get out of order and not requiring delicate adjustment of the parts.

For the purpose mentioned use is made of an actuating and contact-making member turning in unison with the minute hand of the clock and controlling periodically another contact-making member for closing a circuit to sound an alarm.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in

. which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a face view of the electric program clock, the casing being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the brush end of the contact lever; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of part of the controlling mechanism.

In a suitably constructed casing A is mounted a clock B, of any approved construction, and on the minute hand post B of the said clock 13 is secured a disk C turning in unison with the minute hand of the clock. On the back of the disk O is arranged an insulated roller C, and on the front face of the disk G is arranged a series of contact pins O spaced apart and preferably arranged in a radial line of the disk O. The roller C is adapted to engage the upper end of a lever D fulcrumed at its lower end at D on the casing A, and the said lever is pressed on by a spring E to hold thelever D normally against a stop D and in position for the roller C to impart a swinging motion to the lever D against the tension of the spring E. On the lever D is adjustably held a detent arm or pawl D secured Specification of Letters Patent.

has been set. wheel G finally moves out of mesh with the segmental gear wheel G at the time the .brush G is in engagement with the inner- Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

Serial No. 608,960.

in place on the lever D by a set screw D or other means, and the said armD engages a ratchet wheel F havlng its shaft F our naled on a bracket A attached to the casing A at the inside thereof. On the face of the ratchet wheel F is secured or formed a segmental gear wheel G in mesh with a segmental gear wheel G fulcrumed at G in roller O imparts a swinging motion to the lever D, which by the detent arm D turns the ratchet wheel F the distance between :the adjacent teeth so that the segmental gear wheel G turns the segmental gear wheel G thus imparting a swinging motion to the arm G to cause the brush G thereof to .move in such position as to be engaged by the next following contact pin O to make contact therewith. As shown in Fig. 1, the ratchet wheel F is provided with twentyfour teeth so that at the end of each hour the ratchet wheel is intermittently rotated by the detent arm D of the lever D, actuated by the roller C, and the brush G is -moved successively in position for engagement by the several contact pins O that is, making contact at each hour during the given period for which'the program clock When the segmental gear most pin C then the segmental gear wheel G swings to the right against a stop G by the action of the overbalancing arm G whereby the brush Gr returns to position for engagement by the outermost pin O at the next revolution of the ratchet wheel F.

On the shaft F of the ratchet wheel F is secured a pinion H in mesh with a gear wheel H held on a shaft H journaled in the bracket A and on the shaft H is secured a cont-rolling disk I engaged at its peripheral face by a brush 1- held on the bracket A. The peripheral face of the disk I is provided with an insulated segment I designed to interrupt the electric curcuit for a given length of time, say, for instance, during Saturdays and Sundays of each week, in case the device is used in a school, as alarms are not required to be sounded during such days. The disk I is connected by a circuit wire J with a battery K or other source of electrical supply, and supplyingwtwo electric circuits with electricity, one circuit containing an electric alarm L and the other containing a brush N in engagement with the peripheral face of the disk O. The brush N is attached to a support N of insulating material and the brush is connected by a circuit wire J with spring contacts O attached to a support O of insulating material, and secured to a motor frame P held in the casing A. The spring contact O is connected by a circuit wire J 2 with an electro-magnet Q connected by a circuit wire J 3 with the battery. When a pin O engages the brush G a circuit is closed which contains the disk O, brush N, wire J, contacts O, wire J electro-magnet Q, wire J battery K, wire J, brush 1, disk I, gear wheels H, H, ratchet wheel F, gears G, Gr, arm G and pin O on the disk O.

The circuit containing the alarm L is arranged as follows: One circuit wire J 4 for the alarm L connects with the battery K and the other circuit wire J 5 of the alarm L connects with brushes R mounted on a support R of insulating material, and the brushes R are connected by a circuit wire J 6 with the battery K. The brushes R are in contact with the peripheral surface of a disk S of insulating material and attached to a shaft S journaled in the framework P, and on the peripheral face of the disk S is arranged a metallic segment S adapted to move into contact with the brushes R on rotating the said disk S by a spring motor U mounted on the framework P and geared with the shaft S of the disk S. A. rocking arm V pivoted on the framework P is adapted to be rocked by a pin S held on the face of the disk, and the said rocking arm V is adapted to engage the spring contacts 0 to close the electric connection between the circuit wires J and J 2 at each revolution of the disk S. As soon as the pin S leaves the rocking arm V the spring contacts O are released by the arm V and open to disconnect the wires J and J On the peripheral face of the disk S is formed a shoulder S* adapted to be engaged by a hook Q fulcrumed on the framework P and pivotally connected with a stem Q attached to the armature Q of the electro-magnet- Q. When the first circuit is closed by a pin C engaging the brush Or the electro-magnet Q is energized and its armature Q is lifted so that the hook Q swings out of engagement with the shoulder S thus releasing the disk S and allowing the motor U to rotate the disk which by the pin S had kept the brushes 0 in contact with each other. When the electric circuit is broken by the pin S leaving the arm V the electro-magnet G is deenergized and its armature Q drops so that the hook Q finally engages the shoulder S to arrest the disk S, thus holding the same against further rotation.

It is understood that during the time the segmental gear wheel G is out of mesh with the segmental gear wheel G the brush Gr out of the path of the pin O and consequently no alarm is sounded during the night or any other predetermined period. When the segment gear wheel G moves into mesh with the segmental gear wheel G, say at nine oclock in the morning, the brush Or is in position to be engaged by the outermost pin O and when the minute hand reaches the full hour for nine oclock, the outermost pin O engages the brush G to close the circuit for the electro-magnet Q, which now attracts the armature Q for disengaging the hook Q from the disk S and to allow the latter to rotate by the action of the motor U. Vhen this takes place the arm V drops off the pin S and the circuit wires J and J 2 are disconnected by the opening of the brushes O, but when the segment S comes in contact with the brushes R the circuit for the alarm L is closed and consequently an alarm is sounded, and when the segment S has passed the brushes R then the circuit is broken for the alarm L and the latter ceases to sound. It is understood that when the firstcircuit is broken at the brushes 0 the elcctrounagnet Q is decnergized and the hook Q drops downward into engagement with the disk S to stop thesame at the time the shoulder S comes around into engagement with the hook Q. At this time the pin S has imparted a swinging motion to the arm V which closes the brushes O and holds the same closed until the next action.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the battery power K is used but for a short time for each operation, thus greatly eeonomizing in the use of electrical power.

It is understood that the disk C is used for the double purpose of actuating the lever D which by the detent- D ratchet wheel F and segmental gear wheels G, G controls the arm G making contact with the pins C on the disk C. It will also be understood that but comparatively few parts constitute the mechanism and said parts are not liable easily to get out of order and do not require any delicate adjustment.

It is understood that by the time the disk S makes a revolution and the arm V closes the circuit by closing the brushes O by means of the rocking arm V, the brush G has left a pin C It is also understood that the disk S is retarded to allow the brush G to leave the pin O by the use of a fan U on the motor U. The motor and connected parts control the length of time during which the alarm is sounded.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An electric program clock, comprising an actuating and contacting device having means for making contacts at predetermined periods and turning in unison with the minute hand of a clock, a contact device for making periodical contact with said actuating and contacting device, means for periodically actuating the contact device from said actuating and contacting device, a rotatable circuit breaker actuated by said means, and an electric alarm mechanism connected with the said circuit breaker and the said actuating and contacting device.

2. An electric program clock, comprising an actuating and contact-making member turning in unison with the minute hand of a clock, a contact member adapted to make contact with the said actuating and contactmaking member, electric alarm mechanism connected with the said members, a ratchet wheel, means for imparting movement to the contact member, from the ratchet wheel, and a lever controlled by the said actuating and contact-making member and having a detent engaging the said ratchet wheel.

3. An electric program clock provided with a member turning in unison with the minute hand of a clock, the said member having a series of contact pins, a pivoted contact member mounted to swing and adapted to make contact with the said pins, a ratchet wheel, means for imparting a swinging motion to the said contact member from the said ratchet wheel, a lever controlled by the said turning. member and having a detent member engaging said ratchet wheel, and electric alarm mechanism connected with the said turning member and the said ratchet wheel.

4. An electric program clock provided with a disk turning in unison with the minute hand of a clock, a series of contact pins on the said disk, a contact arm adapted to contact successively wit-h the said contact pins, a ratchet wheel, means for imparting movement to the contact arm from said ratchet wheel, a lever actuated from the said disk and having an adjustable detent member engaging said ratchet wheel, a rotatable circuit breaker geared with said ratchet wheel, and an electric alarm mechanism connected with the said disk and the said circuit breaker.

5. An electric program clock provided with a member rotating in unison with the minute hand of a clock, a series of contacts carried by said member, a contact member adapted to contact successively with the said contacts, the said member being mounted to swing and provided with a segmental gear, a ratchet wheel provided with a segmental gear adapted to mesh with the first mentioned segmental gear, an actuating lever having a detent engaging the said ratchet wheel, means for controlling the actuating lever from said rotating member, and an electric alarm mechanism connected with the said rotating member and the said ratchet wheel.

6. An electric program clock provided with a disk turning in unison with the minute hand of a clock, a series of contact pins on the said disk, a contact arm adapted to contact successively with the said contact pins and provided with a segmental gear wheel, a ratchet wheel carrying a segmental gear wheel in mesh with the said contact arm gear wheel, an actuating lever having a detent engaging the said ratchet wheel, an insulated roller on the said disk and adapted to engage the said actuating lever, and an electric alarm mechanism connected with the said disk and the said ratchet wheel.

7. An electric program clock provided with a member rotating in unison with the minute hand of a clock, a series of contacts carried by said member, a contact member adapted to contact successively with said contacts, the said member being mounted to swing and provided with a segmental gear, a ratchet wheel carrying a segmental gear adapted to mesh with the first mentioned gear, an actuating lever having a detent engaging the said ratchet wheel, means for controlling the actuating lever from said rotating member, a rotatable circuit breaker driven from the ratchet wheel, and an electric alarm mechanism controlled by the said circuit breaker.

8. An-electric program clock provided with a disk turning in unison with the minute hand of a clock, a series of contact pins on the said disk, a contact arm adapted to contact successively with the said contact pins and provided with a segmental gear wheel, a ratchet wheel carrying a segmental gear wheel in mesh with the said contact arm gear Wheel, an actuating wheel having a detent engaging the said ratchet lever, an insulated roller on the said disk and adapted to engage the said actuating lever, a rotatable circuit breaker geared with the said ratchet wheel and having an insulated segment, brushes engaging the said disk and the said circuit breaker, and an electric alarm mechanism connected with the said brushes.

9. An electric program clock provided with a disk mounted to rotate in unison with the minute hand of a clock, the said disk having a radially arranged row of contact pins, a contact arm mounted to swing and adapted to contact successively with the said pins, a ratchet wheel mounted to turn, connections between the ratchet wheel and the contact arm to actuate the latter, an actuating lever controlled by said disk and having a detent arm engaging the said ratchet wheel, an electric alarm connected with the said disk and the said ratchet wheel, the said electric alarm having two circuits, an electro magnet contained in one of said circuits, a motor driven contact disk for controlling the said circuits, and a releasing and locking device for the said motor driven contact disk and controlled by the said electro magnet.

10. An electric program clock provided with a member mounted to rotate in unison with the minute hand of a clock and provided with a series of contacts, a contact member adapted to successively engage said contacts, actuating means controlled by said rotating member for periodically actuating the said contact member, an electro magnet, an electric circuit connected with the said rotating member and the said contact member and containing the said electro magnet, an alarm, a second electric circuit containing the said alarm an insulated motor driven member, means controlled by the electro magnet for locking and unlocking the said motor driven member, means controlled by the said motor driven member for closing and opening the first mentioned circuit, and means controlled by the movement of said motor driven member for opening and closing the said second circuit.

11. An electric program clock provided with a disk mounted to rotate in unison with the minute hand of a clock, the said disk having a radially arranged row of contact pins, a contact arm mounted to swing and adapted to contact successively with the said pins, actuating means controlled by the said disk for periodically actuating the said contact arm, an electro magnet, an electric circuit connected with the said disk and the said cont-act arm and containing the said electro magnet, an alarm, a second electric circuit containing the said alarm, an insulated motor-driven disk having a pin, a shoulder, and a metallic segment, a hook controlled by the said electro magnet for locking and unlocking the said motor-driven disk, an arm controlled by the said disk pin for closing and opening the first-named circuit, and brushes in the said second circuit for engagement with the said disk segment.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GOTTLIEB PAUL MILDE.

lVitnesses FRED GRIFFIN, CHAS. A. GRIFFIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

